Should Tiger Woods be banned from the PGA for his recent poor conduct?

Question

Last week Mr. Woods physically threatened a photographer who had taken a picture of him at the instant he was in his backswing. (Woods reportedly yelled, "I'm gonna break your f---ing neck!")

Should golf players really have the right to feel entitled to complete silence during a match? Whenever there's a large crowd of people, noise is inevitable (coughing, sneezing, etc.,)

And this is not the first time Mr. Woods has demonstrated poor sportsmanship. In the past, he once yelled and cursed at a spectator whose cell phone or pager went off during a match.

For those of you who like to sit on your high horses and refer to golf as a "gentleman's game", how do you rationalize such despicable behavior from someone like Mr. Woods who is worth more than US$100 million? A multimillion dollar athlete using obscene/abusive language (within earshot of young children no less) is inexcusable.

Shouldn't Mr. Woods be (at the least) fined and suspended, if not banned from the PGA altogether?

Answer 1

First off, with the stress he is under while playing, an occasional outburst is understandable. Second, a fine wouldn't be out of the question, but he should not be suspended. Third, why would you ban someone that generates billions of dollars for the US economy?

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Answer 2

no, The guy shouldn't have taken the picture

Answer 3

That is completely insane! Ditching Tiger from the tour would be like England without royalty, soccer without Beckham, USA without crazy wreckless Texans, Basketball without ShaQ, Crimes without brothers, music without Zeppelin, sandals without socks, a square wheel..... i think you get the point, the PGA would be nothing without such a dominant force behind the wheel.

Answer 4

I think a fine would be in order but I also think cameras should be confiscated if the silence is broken as they cannot be compared to involuntary coughing and sneezing.

j

Answer 5

he's trying to make a living. leave him alone. and to the guy who said he could drop tiger, he'd beat your ***. No lacrosse player is going to beat tiger in anything...besides lacrosse.

Answer 6

u cant ban tiger he is tha sport. he is so good its not even funny if he was ban from a event rattings would drop so much. nd it wasent even bad wat he said i thought it was funny

Answer 7

I will assume that since you are asking a question, you are seeking information.  I am glad to see you used the term "reportedly".  I saw it live and I saw the replay.  I did not hear those words.  Although it is possible that he said it, I think it would be totally out of character for him.  

Regarding being fined, suspended, and banned from the PGA, yes, the photographer should be banned.  They are all instructed and sign agreements that they will only take pictures after the swing, not during.  It is prohibited, just as cameras carried by normal spectators.  But, I will give him the benefit of the doubt and just assumed he pressed the button early attempting to catch Tiger at impact.  Yes, the person with the cell phone should also be banned, because that are prohibited at all PGA tour events.

Answer 8

No, and here is why.

First, Mr. Woods is not the first prominent player to have such demonstrations. Arnold Palmer was known for his occasionally salty language and he took no c**p from anyone. Ben Hogan was downright surly to people at times. Lee Trevino, if you caught him on a bad day would have more than a few choice words. And there are many others. There would be no PGA Tour if it were not for Palmer. People did not just love Arnie because of his great play, but also because Arnie was flawed. Do I believe Mr. Woods should be assessed a hefty fine within Tour rules, absolutely. No one is above the rules. However, if you banned him from the PGATour, then he would likely play in Europe, and the American tour's ratings would drop by close to 50%, sponsors would became scarcer than hens teeth, and I would be up at 3:00 a.m. watching Golf Channel telecasts of whatever tour Tiger is playing on like a whole bunch of others. I believe his behavior has become more and more entitled and ungentlemanly as each year goes by. The PGATour should fine him, and the amounts and how often he is fined should be made public. I love the guy. He is likely the greatest player to ever live. However, though I am disturbed by his behavior, it is a symptom of sports in America overall that professional athletes consider themselves better than others. Now, if I had been the guy who inadvertently snapped a photo of Tiger at the wrong time, and he threatened me, I would tell him to bring it on. I stand 6 ft. 2 inches tall, am in the gym five days a week, am a former football and lacrosse player, and could drop him faster than he could say "Stevie, call an ambulance." Davis Love has made similar comments to spectators in the near past. Both these guys would not last ten minutes on their own without security and nothing but their bad attitudes as shields. But a ban, no, that is taking it too far.

Answer 9

They should fine Tiger for using a curse word in public.  He is a role model for many young golfers, and even youth beyond the sport.

I don't think that I would call this "bad sportsmanship" because it was directed at someone outside the game.  If Tiger had said this to a PGA Rules Official (referee) or a fellow competitor, I would say that a suspension would be warranted.

I think that you should hold athletes in other sports to the same standard, though.  Could you imagine the NBA or NHL or European Football Leagues if you were banned from the game for cursing at a fan?  Most franchises would have trouble putting a full team on the field of play! ;)

Answer 10

Please provide your source for the "reportedly yelled" statement you allege. I heard Tigers statement and all I heard was "Not in my swing".

Answer 11

First things first. The PGA Tour would collapse without Tiger Woods. No Tiger, no interest. Without him golf would be boring. Second, golf is, in terms of language, one of the most profane sports around. If you conducted a survey of golfers and asked the question "Do you curse regularly on the course?" 95%  would answer yes, and the other 5% would be lying. And third, Tiger and other professional golfers ARE entitled to complete silence during their shots. Hitting a golf ball well and consistently is one of the most difficult things to do in sports, and if there is noise during during a shot, it can throw someone way off. In today's game, a shot or two can decide a tournament, with thousands of dollars hanging in the balance. A simple camera click is just as distracting as someone running onto the field during a different kind of sport.

Answer 12

it the camera guys fault he the dumbass that aint supposed to take the pic while somone is swinging

Answer 13

He should be banned. If I said those words to anyone I work with (he works as a golfer) I would be fired.

Answer 14

you have to understand that  people bug him all the time because he is tiger woods  hes the rockstar of golf       and the photographer just prolly got to him      its perfectly understandable if he blows up once in a while  hes only human

Answer 15

why should he be banned altogether? he isn't the first and he wont be the last. ban all those players who made racist comments when he just started playing pro golf. why don't we just ban everyone who loses their cool? i'm not a tiger fan, but this is not necessary. ban all basketball players, your tender ears are offended, how dare he? and now you want him gone huh? please stop it! it's just too much.makes me think there's something bothering you that's much deeper. let it out, don't hide behind the tender eared children bit.

Answer 16

You're out of your mind.  Decorum is expected from the gallery as well from the players.  Everyone knows to not snap pictures during a player's swing.  Even the commentators mentioned that there were a lot of photographers around Tiger that day that weren't normally around when he plays.  He is fined when he uses expletives just like any other player.  He doesn't get a free pass for cursing.

Answer 17

Why should you judge him any harsher than you would some young punk cursing walking down the street, or sitting in a diner swearing (within earshot of young children,). I think maybe the Photogropher should have not been taking a still picture with a flash at that time. This is the way Mr. Woods makes a living and these people were ,to say the least, inconsiderate.

Answer 18

In my opinion, I feel like the Tiger Woods ordeal is getting blown out of proportion. Most PGA golfers are not as child friendly as the tv makes us think they are, and are edited heavily. Another example of athletes that are a little bit more foul mouthed is in the NFL and NBA where coaches and players are often seen cursing on the court or field, but are edited out by television statements.

The only reason that Tiger is getting ridiculed for this is the fact that he has a history of being a much cleaner player than most. This outburst is also not that unexpected; when there is a game that is worth a large chunk of money, that requires great concentration, and there is a sudden noise that makes the player mess up, frustration cannot be unexpected. Overall, I think that it was a mistake by Tiger Woods, but not one that should be punished severely.

Answer 19

Well it is not going to happen because he is a big meal ticket for the PGA.  But cameras are generally not allowed (certainly at USGA events) unless you sign a release that says you're not going to use the photos for commercial gain.  Otherwise you need a press pass.  Nevertheless you can't be clicking away in the middle of a swing, and cell phones are supposed to be off as well.  It is the spectator that is in the wrong - when you are playing for millions of dollars you don't need cell phones and shutters going off in your backswing.  He had a right to be aggrevated.